As alluded to above by philip-random, Al Stewart does/did a lot of genre stuff like this, especially the album "Past Present and Future". Not really my cup of tea, but a song or two as part of the mix could work.

There have been a number of songs about the death of Medgar Evers, including Dylan's "Only a Pawn" and Nina Simone's "Mississippi Goddamn".
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 1:42 PM on September 2, 2008

Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot, about the building of the CPR. (long and kinda tedious to my ears but maybe that's because we had to listen to it in high school (!!).


Also, topically!, CSNY: Chicago, about the 1968 DNC.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 2:58 PM on September 2, 2008

This previous question might give some clues -- I figured out the sneaky fix for a Leopard upgrade (not your problem, but maybe close). Good luck.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:54 PM on August 31, 2008

When I was there (one day layover) the one thing I wanted to see was the Holocaust museum, which is said to be excellent (and a downer, of course) but it was closed Mondays. Otherwise, I know little about Frankfurt other than it was a very open, modern, rather generic city.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 1:39 PM on August 28, 2008

There is no Holocaust museum, only a Jewish museum which also covers the Holocaust. Thanks criticalbeaver, my mistaken memory. link. I recall having read a review of it at the time that was extremely favourable and was quite disappointed not to see it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 3:11 PM on August 28, 2008

Brainwave Communication Device

The Brainwave Communication Device is one of UVATT’s long-term research projects. Its goal is to enable people with severe physical disabilities to communicate via brainwaves. UVATT has had considerable success with this and the system is now at a point where users, with little or no training, can use brainwaves to operate a simple on/off switch.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 1:03 PM on August 26, 2008

The TTC yard near Donlands station -- I think it's called Greenwood Yard?

Google earth has linked pictures (check "panoramio" box, I think) and exploring Toronto that way might be interesting and productive for ideas.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:56 AM on August 26, 2008

ikkyu2 is onto something though: there may be other ineligible people in your office who are being peer-pressured into giving blood. So asking the red cross to send a neutral, anonymous but forceful message about not pressuring people to give blood sounds like it would be good on several levels.

I can't give blood because I lived in England during the mad cow epoch. So you could add that to your list as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 10:25 AM on August 26, 2008

You should read up on ethnography of California aboriginal people, if you haven't already. Surely their culture and environment has changed recently and through time, but as a general guide to what is and isnt edible, how to catch and harvest, process etc, it must be useful. I imagine you already know about the various magazines and books devoted to so-called "primitive skills"?

This map gives territories and names of the San Diego area.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 9:43 PM on August 24, 2008

I'm asking about STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE FOOD INTAKE AND MINIMIZE RESOURCE EXPENDITURE.

Read up or google "Optimal Foraging Theory" - widespread in anthropology and archaeology (borrowed from biology) to discuss how to maximize calories in and minimize calories out. Intro.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 9:47 PM on August 24, 2008

I heard this quote attributed to Lyndon Johnson (a slip, as he thought the mike was off, or something like that) but have no reference for that.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 6:10 PM on August 24, 2008

The Foundation for the Future is a heavily-endowed (from some guy who invented rocket engines or something) outfit that thinks about this question --- one of their projects is to think about the year 3000, for example.


The Foundation conducts a broad range of programs and activities to promote an understanding of the factors in the social, genetic, biological, medical, psychological, physiological, cultural, technological, and ecological fields that may... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 2:57 PM on August 19, 2008

This gallery: Badges of honour: the tattoos of Olympians might be of interest to you....

Though this unlikely article suggests the tattoos themselves are the problem...... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 6:35 PM on August 18, 2008

It's a Canadian swim tradition to have a maple leaf and/or olympic rings tattooed over the heart, this dates back to before tattoos were as common as skin, so clearly even back in the day there wasn't a problem with it at an official level.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 8:03 PM on August 18, 2008

I seriously doubt it is fireweed. More likely it is forest fire, and the colour is false/distorted in the low-res views. Compare this area which has the grey look of dead trees -- then zoom out and when it flips to low-res it is that orangey colour.

There is a slight chance it might be pine beetle kill rather than fire but I don't recall much beetle that far north, yet.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 7:44 AM on August 18, 2008

Perhaps the classic example of a eureka moment applied to an "obvious" (post-hoc obvious) invention is the simple wheelbarrow. Two of the oldest mechanical devices the wheel, and the lever. Known separately for millennia, but not put together until medieval times.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 1:33 PM on August 16, 2008

nthing Sometimes When We Touch. Sappiest, most insipid song ever enabled by Canadian Content Rules.

Paul McCartney: Silly Little Love Songs. Argh.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 10:41 AM on July 25, 2008

re: other idioms used -- "the facts of life" is fairly common, I think.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 9:35 AM on July 24, 2008

Lake Tahoe is well known in remote sensing circles as one of the earliest bodies of water to undergo high-resolution swath bathymetry. Such bathymetry will image anything below the surface larger than a football. I am pretty sure they didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but you can view all the images and do a quicktime "fly-through" here and here and here.

Also, it is well known for having experienced massive, tectonically-induced underwater... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 9:54 AM on July 21, 2008

I've had this happen and in calling Revenue Canada they were more than willing to send me hardcopies of all my T4s from several past years, as well as the form for the year in question. I guess they get copies of these T4s anyway or something.

Re: your refund, if you owed in the previous years they will deduct thatt, plus penalties, but my experience was if you coe forward they were reasonable.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 9:30 AM on July 17, 2008

This history of portable (including pre-transistor) radios is written by an archaeologist (one of the leading ones of the last 40 years, in fact) and could be quite a different approach to technology for you.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 6:13 PM on July 16, 2008

I propose the Saudi-Iraqi Neutral Zone
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 7:54 PM on May 23, 2008

There is a fantastic, easy-to-read book about the Oxyrhynchus project: The City of the Sharp-Nosed Fish. Keep in mind that project did not recover much literature per se, but rather a lot of documents relating to quotidian life: to-do lists, and so forth.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 6:49 PM on May 19, 2008

"Wall Street" & the Greed is Good thing. Forecast for the 1990s......

Otherwise, I'd nth High Fidelity
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 10:34 PM on May 15, 2008

Some discussion at Savage Minds.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 9:53 PM on May 15, 2008

If you do fly to Zagreb, take the ferry from Split to Dubrovnik -- even more beautiful and a relaxing ca. 5 hour cruise....

Chck flights from Berlin to Ljublanja, which is, in my books, a much more pleasant city than Zagreb, and then work your way to the coast and down the coast from there. Certainly there are lots of flights Frankfurt to Ljubljana and I think Easyjet used to fly in from Berlin.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 9:48 PM on May 15, 2008

It isn't just "I" -- I noticed some time ago that names beginning with any vowel, boys and girls, see a marked mid 19th century dip. Try it on the baby name wizard. The pattern is pretty hard to explain other than the zeitgeist + similar sounding name "drift", unless it is simply the inverse of the David-Jennifer pattern (but still requires some sort of explanation, I think)
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 4:00 PM on May 12, 2008

Helen and Hazel are two once popular girl names that are due for a comeback, also Clara
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 4:14 PM on May 12, 2008

This FPP might be of interest.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:51 PM on May 8, 2008

the oven may be clean, but have you lifted the top and looked under the burners? there may be some crud there. A smoking oven is definitely not normal. Are you sure it isn't a burning wire insulation or other dangerous thing?

And to answer the question, a lot of slow-cooked crock pot/casserole dishes go in the oven at less than 300 degrees.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 8:21 PM on May 1, 2008

Not always: scratch your head and say the word LEAF many times, quickly. It is all-too-intelligible.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 9:25 AM on May 1, 2008

Retired ultramarathoner Al Howie still lives in Victoria, I believe.....
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 7:23 PM on April 30, 2008

just a single semi-colon (large)

;

keep them guessing.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 6:39 PM on April 23, 2008 marked best answer

I'm of the impression (could be wrong) that a fair number of the blind people one sees (e.g., wearing sunglasses, carrying cane, etc) in fact have some very limited sight. While not very useful for many tasks, being able to distinguish light and dark, or major fields of colour, could be quite an assistance to navigation.

Also, at our campus, every door has a small braille identifying sticker, which is almost colourless. These have been there since at least 1980 or so,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 3:02 PM on April 16, 2008

news.aioe.org is a good free usenet server, at least for the low impact stuff I do on it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 7:24 PM on April 15, 2008

Did they scan the boarding pass at the duty-free where he bought the ham?
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 5:03 PM on April 14, 2008

You might find this previous question of interest -- I happen to know the anonymous mefite got that particular job so maybe the advice there helped. I listed a bunch of questions we always ask, with commentary, in that thread.

Re: pregnancy -- in my jurisdiction, you would not be required to disclose pregnancy and you would be protected from not doing so. It's is worth finding out (call HR at the university in question), because there may well be hallway conversations... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:07 AM on April 14, 2008 marked best answer

I'd suggest getting real legal advice from a real lawyer.

I agree with the seriousness of this concern, but I think talking to the HR department at the university in question would be easier, cheaper and probably more accurate, especially if the university is in a different jurisdiction. All universities I know of have very strictly regulated framework agreements for hiring, and almost all have engaged in some sort of equity policy assessments,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:27 AM on April 14, 2008

Franz Boas' doctorate was in Physics.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 4:16 PM on March 23, 2008

You could start with Crooked Timber and explore outwards from their links and members.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:37 AM on March 23, 2008

smallpox exists in the lab, therefore not actually extinct.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 5:33 PM on March 21, 2008

I've seen "Salmon Chanted Evening" shirts around, but don't see them with a cursory google....
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 4:07 PM on March 19, 2008

This list is probably useful

I think the Anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss is still active at age 100. Another Anthropologist died a couple of years ago and was definitely still going strong at 98: Frederica de Laguna.

It's a different league, so to speak, but Chris Chelios is still playing top-tier professional ice hockey at age 46.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:50 PM on March 16, 2008

Jaan Pehechan Ho
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 1:30 PM on March 13, 2008

Income disparities in body mass index and obesity in the United States, 1971-2002.
CONCLUSION: The persistence and emergence of income gradients suggests that disparities in weight status are only partially attributable to poverty and that efforts aimed at reducing disparities need to consider a much broader array of contributing factors.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:55 PM on March 11, 2008

There is a wdespread feeling among Northwest Coast aboriginal groups that it is right and proper, and perhaps, essential, that their art (including the famous, monumental "totem poles") should decay and return to the ground. This sets up interesting conflicts between museum conservators and indigenous people. Essay.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:22 AM on March 11, 2008

Archaeologies of Sexuality
The Prehistory of Sex: Four Million Years of Human Sexual Culture
Beyond the Natural Body: An Archaeology of Sex... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 9:15 PM on March 10, 2008 marked best answer

Girls Before Swine
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 11:12 AM on March 10, 2008

And this book might be of interest - for example, it seems to note that Archduke Ferdinand wouldn't have been assassinated if his chauffeur hadn't made a wrong turn.... apparently confirmed here:

Franz Ferdinand announced he would like to go to the hospital to check on the other bomb victims. He begged Sophie to stay behind but she insisted on accompanying him. Oskar Potiorek, Military Governor of the province, assured the angry... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 1:34 PM on March 8, 2008

Whoops: this book.
posted to Ask Metafilter by Rumple at 1:34 PM on March 8, 2008